ACTF News

New Australian children’s drama series First Day (Epic Films) has premiered on ABC ME and ABC iview.

Airing daily from March 30 at 4.30pm, the 4x 24-minute episode series follows Hannah Bradford’s first year of high school. As a transgender girl, Hannah not only has to navigate the challenges that come with starting a new school, but find the courage to live as her most authentic self.

The new series is a spin-off of a stand-alone episode of the same name commissioned in 2017 as part of the Girls Film Season, an ABC and Screen Australia initiative to celebrate what it means to be a girl today.

The original First Day won the inaugural prize for Excellence in Kids’ Programming at the 2018 MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards and the Gender Equity Prize at the prestigious Prix Jeunesse International Children's Television Festival in Munich.

Like the standalone episode, the new series is written and directed by Julie Kalceff and stars Evie Macdonald in the role of Hannah. By playing Hannah’s character, Evie becomes the first transgender actor to be cast in the lead role of an Australian television series.

Writer Julie Kalceff says the goal for the series is to increase understanding and acceptance amongst the target audience and the wider community.

“With First Day, I not only want to increase visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community, but to tell an uplifting story of empowerment about a transgender teenager. My hope is that this will help give a voice to those who struggle as a direct result of not seeing themselves represented on screen,” she says.

The ACTF produced a Teaching Toolkit and Q&A webinar for the original First Day episode. An updated Teaching Toolkit for the new First Day series is coming soon. Subscribe to the ACTF’s Education eNews for updates.

Episodes from the First Day series are available to watch for free on ABC iview.

First Day is an Epic Films production in association with KOJO Entertainment, with investment from Screen Australia in association with the South Australian Film Corporation and the ABC. The ACTF distributes First Day internationally.